JAN AAS TIMES | New Delhi
With the autumn of the Sheikh Hasina govt on August 5, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has re-entered the political highlight. The JI have been below immense force below Hasina’s Awami League (AL) govt. A number of leaders had been convicted and jailed, even accomplished for his or her function within the 1971 Liberation Conflict. Masses of JI leaders and activists had been jailed and its places of work had been sealed.
Days sooner than its fall, the Hasina govt imposed a ban on JI. Following Hasina’s go out from the rustic, Bangladesh Military Leader Waker-uz-Zaman referred to as a gathering with political leaders, and regardless of being a banned celebration, JI’s Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman was once invited to take part.
Bangladesh’s period in-between govt has since lifted the ban on JI. Its places of work had been reopened and it has resumed its actions. Rahman has received reward on social media for his composed and measured speeches, even supposing critics proceed to show the celebration’s debatable previous of participating with Pakistan throughout the 1971 struggle.
There are questions referring to JI’s participation in long term elections. Will it contest as a part of an alliance with the Bangladesh Nationalist Birthday party? What would governance below a JI govt seem like? Does it imagine within the spirit of the Liberation Conflict? In an interview with The Diplomat’s Bangladesh correspondent, Saqlain Rizve, on September 22, Rahman mentioned that the JI is “uncompromising in protecting the independence and sovereignty of the country.”
The whole interview, edited evenly for readability, is beneath.
After greater than a decade, the JI is again in its administrative center. How do you’re feeling about this newfound freedom on your celebration and the folk of Bangladesh?
Ahead of I percentage how the JI feels concerning the new freedom, I’d like to provide an explanation for how the country feels. It wasn’t simply us who had been oppressed below the former govt. Sure, JI has been the largest goal of its oppression, however the entire country is now respiring a sigh of reduction. Most significantly, folks can after all discuss freely once more. Check out the media. The place was once journalism on this nation throughout AL rule? Reporters who sought after to talk the reality had been silenced. Now, we, the typical folks, and the media have regained our freedom. Total, it feels just right, and we’re thankful for Allah’s mercy.
Since August 5, unrest has unfold national, with AL leaders’ properties vandalized and looted. Some leaders had been killed. Mob justice could also be expanding. What’s JI’s stance on those problems?
Originally, we’re towards any type of oppression. We’re towards taking the legislation into our fingers. No person can oppress a human being, then again giant a legal s/he’s. Motion will have to be taken in keeping with the legislation. Additionally, if a legal belongs to a faith rather than Islam or is a citizen of some other nation and commits against the law, criminal motion will have to be taken.
AL Common Secretary and previous Minister Obaidul Quader mentioned that if the AL govt falls, 500,000 AL leaders and staff could be killed by means of folks from different events around the nation. Why did they concern this? As a result of they find out about their crimes. Alternatively, it didn’t occur. Now not 500,000, now not even 50,000, nor 500 and even 5 AL leaders or activists had been killed. This was once now not only because of our efforts. It was once imaginable best during the mercy of Allah and the accountable conduct of the folk of this nation.
As a celebration, the JI will have taken revenge at the AL for the torture it meted out to us. However from the very starting, we now have been urging our celebration staff and our countrymen to not take the legislation into their fingers. We don’t have any goal of taking revenge.
Globally prior to now decade, many autocrats have fallen from energy. However their international locations proceed to stand risky financial and political eventualities post-dictatorship. As a result, some imagine the present time could be very difficult for Bangladesh. What are your ideas in this?
The placement in Bangladesh might not be precisely the similar as in different international locations, however there are some similarities. That’s why we wish to be told from the ones stories.
We’ve already noticed more than a few conspiracies — the failed judicial coup, the chaos stirred up by means of some Ansar drive on the Secretariat, and makes an attempt to create unrest in other places, together with the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) spaces, as an example — making an attempt to spread. However none of those may just be triumphant on account of the cohesion and patriotism of the folk. I’m hopeful that this feeling of cohesion will proceed at some point.
Right through AL rule over the last decade, JI’s places of work across the nation had been sealed. The celebration confronted a number of restrictions. How did it set up its actions amidst this case?
Our actions didn’t prevent even if the administrative center was once closed. As an alternative of maintaining conferences with 500 folks, we restricted conferences to smaller teams of fifty. We’d sit down in a protected position. This made the method extra time-consuming. With the onset of the COVID-19 lockdown, we shifted our actions on-line. Initially of this 12 months, we made up our minds to renew bodily operations and to face towards no matter stumbling blocks got here sooner than us. Alternatively, we weren’t accepted to carry out of doors conferences or gatherings at the streets.
Some imagine that JI was once the motive force at the back of the anti-Hasina motion. Many additionally declare that a number of key coordinators of the anti-quota pupil motion had ties to JI politics. How correct are those claims?
JI is without doubt one of the oldest political events in Bangladesh. Now we have taken to the streets time and again with the folk’s calls for, and this time isn’t any other. Alternatively, we will be able to by no means declare to be the mastermind at the back of this motion. It was once a motion of the oppressed folks. The scholar neighborhood started this protest with an inexpensive call for. The former govt’s harsh reaction to this non violent motion resulted in its downfall. And I will not say evidently if any of the motion’s coordinators are hooked up to JI politics. However even though they’re, being a part of JI isn’t against the law, simply as now not being concerned isn’t both.
What are JI’s expectancies from the period in-between govt? Whilst different primary opposition events are pushing for early elections, JI has now not proven the similar urgency. May you provide an explanation for why?
First, an excellent election calls for positive reforms. An period in-between govt can’t be anticipated to enforce the entire reforms, nor can they as they aren’t a political govt. Subsequently, we first desire a roadmap for reforms, then a roadmap for elections.
The autocratic AL regime has left the rustic in a delicate state throughout all sectors, so the period in-between govt will want ok time, however now not limitless time to reform. We will be able to quickly interact with them in a dialog and request a roadmap.
It’s been two months because the period in-between govt took fee in Bangladesh. Is JI happy with its efficiency?
Our nation has a large number of wounds. A significant motion resulted in the lack of lives, accidents, and injury to state assets. Legislation enforcement is suffering to restore, and the economic system isn’t in just right form both. On best of that, the federal government needed to handle devastating floods in several portions of the rustic quickly after taking administrative center.
Given the whole lot that’s came about, I imagine they’re doing their best possible. Positive, they would possibly not have met everybody’s expectancies but. However what they’ve controlled to reach to this point shouldn’t be lost sight of.
Will JI contest all 300 seats within the basic elections? Or will JI contest the election as a part of an alliance with different events? Quite a lot of Islamic teams have proven hobby in allying with JI, which hasn’t been the case prior to now.
We’ve shaped alliances sooner than in accordance with the folk’s calls for. As of now, we haven’t made any resolution on whether or not to best friend with some other celebration for this election.
Right through the AL regime, many JI leaders had been attempted as liberation struggle criminals. How does JI really feel about those trials?
We don’t have any objection to making an attempt struggle criminals. The listing of 195 struggle criminals was once created throughout the presidency of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the primary post-war chief. This listing essentially incorporated Pakistani army officers who had been accused of committing atrocities throughout the struggle. No person from our celebration was once on that unique listing of struggle criminals. Alternatively, those folks weren’t prosecuted at the moment.
Then in 2009 when the AL got here to energy, they established the World Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh. The ICT convicted a large number of folks, a lot of whom had been related to our political celebration. Those trials had been broadly thought to be debatable; the allegations leveled towards us and the judgments prior to now 15 years are not anything however judicial killings in accordance with lies.
Quite a lot of speeches and writings by means of Ghulam Azam, who was once JI’s Ameer throughout the liberation struggle, obviously display reinforce for the West Pakistan govt. He additionally turned into a part of the Peace Committee, which was once established by means of pro-Pakistan leaders to help the Pakistani army’s efforts towards the independence motion. So, how is his conviction a lie?
After all, he was once within the Peace Committee. If he dedicated violence within the title of this committee then we don’t have any factor together with his prosecution. Alternatively, the entire allegations towards him had been fabricated. That is what we name “judicial killing.”
On April 29, 1971, Pakistani policymakers held a gathering with political leaders. JI didn’t specific reinforce for any genocide at that assembly. The Pakistani army forces had already begun the genocide at the night time of March 25 with none political celebration’s consent.
Does JI imagine within the spirit of the liberation struggle?
After all, we do. And we’re uncompromising in protective the independence and sovereignty of the rustic.
If JI involves energy, how will it care for members of the family with India? It’s broadly believed in India that they may be able to best depend on an AL govt.
To begin with, the emotions of the folk of our nation referring to India replicate our personal. India and Bangladesh are two impartial international locations, and it’s herbal for just right members of the family to exist between neighboring states. We aspire to care for such members of the family as smartly. Alternatively, there will have to be appreciate and equality between each events. I don’t need to touch upon India’s movements prior to now years, however we stay positive concerning the long term.
In recent times, anti-India sentiment has risen some of the folks of Bangladesh and different South Asian international locations, with the #BoycottIndia hashtag trending on social media. Given this context, wouldn’t it’s difficult to care for just right members of the family with India?
Glance, the USA is a huge nation, and it’s bordered by means of two international locations — Canada and Mexico. Do they ever use an anti-The united states hashtag? No, they don’t. Why? Since the U.S. treats them with appreciate and equality. It’s the duty of each neighboring nation to foster certain members of the family. Given the emerging adverse attitudes in opposition to India within the area, we imagine India will have to re-examine its overseas coverage in opposition to its neighbors.
To begin with, the federal government introduced a ban on hilsa (fish) exports to West Bengal for Durga Puja, however later reversed the verdict and selected to export 3,000 lots as an alternative. How does JI understand this?
There’s no wish to concern about this topic. It’s herbal for 2 neighboring international locations to have interaction in import and export actions. There will have to be no factor even though presents are exchanged. Alternatively, the connection will have to now not be unilateral, as we now have noticed throughout earlier governments.
Day-to-day, the hobby of tough international locations like the USA, Russia, and China in Bangladesh is expanding as a way to assert their dominance within the area. What is going to JI’s dating with those powers be if it involves energy?
Our charter states that every one democratic international locations are our buddies, and we will be able to include this. From a trade point of view, we will be able to interact with those that be offering us just right offers. We will be able to additionally search the help of those that appreciate us. Total, we intention to care for just right members of the family with everybody whilst prioritizing our nation’s pursuits. Alternatively, we will be able to now not bow all the way down to somebody or transform subservient.
How does JI view the demanding situations within the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), and what’s their point of view on resolving the problems associated with the indigenous communities there?
We imagine that every one folks residing throughout the borders of Bangladesh, together with the ones within the CHT, are voters with equivalent rights. We don’t differentiate between folks in accordance with the place they are living. Since Bangladesh’s independence, successive governments have tried to handle the problems within the CHT, however a long-lasting answer has but to be completed.
JI emphasizes that making improvements to the standard of lifestyles within the CHT will have to transcend creating tourism. It is vital to determine right kind hospitals, faculties, and different crucial services and products to reinforce the folk. We additionally acknowledge a cultural and social hole between the Indigenous communities within the hills and the folk within the plains, even though this hole isn’t common. Efforts will have to be made to bridge this divide whilst respecting their distinctive cultural id. Whilst the indigenous folks of the CHT are Bangladeshi voters, they aren’t Bengali, and we absolutely reinforce their proper to care for their distinct cultural heritage.
There’s a belief in society that if Jamaat involves energy, Bangladesh will likely be ruled like Afghanistan below the Taliban. Other folks concern that ladies won’t be able to put on what they would like, there will likely be restrictions on freedom, and Bangladeshi artwork will undergo. Will Jamaat govern the rustic this manner?
Islam does now not grant somebody the fitting to impose anything else on others. Subsequently, we will be able to now not impose anything else on somebody. To the contrary, we will be able to be sure that everybody’s protection. A lady can get dressed as she chooses, a loose philosopher can suppose freely, and a filmmaker could make movies in his personal taste. Alternatively, we will have to be sure that the ethical material of society isn’t broken. Even though there are regularly conflicts referring to particular person perspectives on morality, we are hoping to get to the bottom of those problems inside of society.
And simply as Bangladesh won’t make a decision how Afghanistan is ruled, Afghanistan won’t decide how Bangladesh is administered. There’s no level in such considering. We imagine within the fashionable democratic procedure and can proceed to uphold it.
